The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Soap Nuts
Posted by Dianna (Austin, Tx) on 03/14/2009
★★★★★
i just noticed that you don't have soapnuts listed on your site.
soap nuts are actually berries, you can use them for laundry (yay! no perfumes, dyes, soap, etc.) and they work great for this. i even get good results from using them in cold water. also if you make the liquid you can use it for many uses around the house: dishwashing, counters and surfaces, spot treatments of very dirty clothes before washing with the whole soap nuts, carpet cleaning AND hair washing!
also if you use the liquid for washing your pets - fleas don't like it!
it makes your hair very shiny and soft and thick.
if you are interested - google soapnuts - there is a LOT of info out there.
btw - the 'brand' i have is maggies - which is sold at my food co-op. although they may seem expensive upon first inspection - $17.99 for about 50 berries - you can re-use them in the laundry up to 5 times! and then 20 of them will make 32 ounces of cleaning liquid - and you can even do this 2 or 3 times if you save the berries after cooking them.
so a box could work for like 50 loads of laundry! and we wash in cold water - if you use hot or warm water it takes even less of the soapnuts.
this is a wonderful find for anyone who is allergic to conventional detergents. they even clean my boyfriend's very dirty and greasy car working on clothes!
EC: Thanks, Dianna. We are going to cross-post this to the Earth Clinic Planet site as well!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Bill (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 04/15/2012
I don't boil it. I just melt it in my hand and massage it in. I work in/near refineries and that coupled with cleaners I use at home, damage my hair. I like to leave it in for at least an hour, then when I shower, I first rinse it out with ACV (which also clears the scalp to reduce/eliminate dandruff). If possible, try to reduce the number of times a week you wash your hair. (my stylist-a good one says every 4 days to allow natural oils to protect the hair- she practises what she preaches) When in an operating refinery I have to wash every other day, and oil/vinegar once a week, otherwise I can get away with every 4, sometimes 5 days between shampoo. Use good quality shampoo as well. the stuff advertised is largely recycled deep-fryer fat and only gums up your pores.
Borax
Posted by Carla (Greenville, NC) on 12/08/2008
★★★★★
I became a fan of borax when my son was 2 years old and had the chicken pox. His doctor told me to put him in a bath with borax and it would help with his itching. It was wonderful. He would sleep for hours after his borax fix. I used about 1 cup of borax in a tub of water deep enough to cover him. Now, I am trying to cut back my water usage. To do that I put a few oz. of borax in the bottom of a dixie cup and fill it with water. I pour it over my hair and rinse. Instead of using a cream rinse, I use a leave in spray rinse from my hair dresser. It helps save my well water, and my hair has never been so beautiful and soft. TRY IT!!!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Sarahmcsp (Abu Dhabi) on 11/02/2015
★★★★★
You can use it on dry or wet hair.. I do on dry hair. leave it 2 or 3 hours or overnight is even better! Than rinse with shampoo!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Sharon (Pace, Florida) on 04/22/2008
★★★★★
I wrote in the past that I used coconut oil to treat my cats Rhino Virus and ringworm. For myself I take 1 Tbs orally. I have used in on my hair before I wash it. My hair is so soft afterwards.It's great for dandruff. As for my cats I treated the ringworm topically and the rhino virus was treated orally. My cats seem to really like it. They get about a tsp orally. They like it liquid so I run it under hot water. My dogs get about 1 Teaspoon and they love it too. It has helped Yeast on the skin and allergies. I work as a groomer so I try it for several skin problems.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Tree (Ny, New York) on 01/15/2016
I would like to know if you put this on a dog's fur while bathing or you feed it to the dogs. I'm confused!
EC: People mix up to 1 teaspoon of coconut oil into their dog's food.
Beef Bones and Olive Oil, Carrot Juice
Posted by Doris (Santa Ana, USA) on 04/15/2008
★★★★★
re: Lustrous thick healthy hair.. Through my younger years in professional career, many were spent car-pooling. The Spanish women I knew all had lustrous spectacularly thick raven hair. Then, marrying, my own Spanish-American Indian origin mother-in-law also did. She said 'well of course all natives of her vicinity, New Mexico and that nearby So Amer region, boiled their cattle's beef bones till the bones were softened, and the water was marrow filled. They'd add a bit spoon or two of home pressed olive oil and use it as a hair treatment, as we do in salons today. What a difference in my own hair in those years. Also, rubbing cold pressed carrot juice, for the vitamin A, fully restored a male friend's hair from total baldness. Took one year, with substantial overall body health occurring, freckles disappearing, muscle and skin tone restoring, then year 2, a baby fine regrowth of skull hair, then by year 3, totally restored youth-level full head of hair.
Pure Crude Oil
Posted by Brooke (Montgomery, TX) on 03/09/2008
★★★★★
I have been using Pure Crude Oil on my hair for 15 years now, followed by a vaseline rub. I put on the Oil and massage it into my scalp with a cupped massager, then I put on the vaseline and massage it with the cupped massager. It is an amazing conditioner and makes your hair grow quicker than usual. It stimulates growth when you don't have it also!! It is an amazing cure for all scalp issues!!
Pure Crude Oil
Posted by Brooke (Montgomery, Tx, Usa) on 12/05/2010
★★★★★
Sorry for not reading this before! Yes - it is NOT oil that is used for the car!! It is Pennsylvania Crude Oil, Google it and you can find out about it! It is an Edgar Cayce remedy that I have always used, however, for the past two months I have also supplemented with a formula that includes Lactated Pepsin, Black Snake Root Extract, Essence of Wild Ginseng, Atomic Iodine, Extract of Liver, and Grain Alcohol - ( you can Google that also) and it has healed all of my previous hair problems! I still do the Crude oil and Vaseline about 3x a month though, and I now also use a "violet ray" on my scalp to bring even more circulation. All three of those things though has turned my hair beautiful! I no longer take my Armour Thyroid pill that I have taken for years, because of the Iodine in the formula. I have never been able to grow my thin hair past my shoulders and now I have! I have no split ends, my hair is nice and smooth and it is so much thicker!
Pure Crude Oil
Posted by Doddie (Lawrenceville, Georgia) on 08/21/2011
Over washing and blow drying also destroys the hair. Cut back on washing your hair every two weeks or just when you cannot stand it any more. Hair grows from the inside out.
Borax
Posted by Rhonda (Seattle, WA) on 12/03/2007
★★★★★
I learned about borax on curezone for itchy painful scalp and decided to try it. Someone else on this site has mentioned how nice her hair is as a result of using the borax. I have NEVER used a hair product- a shampoo or a conditioner that has equalled the lustruous results I have achieved with borax. My hair was dry and straw like now it feels soft and silky and very manageable. The rats nest is gone! I can now comb and brush my hair again without fear of tearing my hair out. If for no other reason, I think everyone should abondon their shampoo and start using borax to wash the hair. As for my scalp? I was pretty desperate the day I tried the borax. My scalp was very sore, there was an inflamed (swollen) ridge on my part and there were tiny bumps like zits forming. I have a theory that hair pullers are reacting to whatever it is that causes these symptoms I experience. I started messing with my hair when I started experiencing all of the above. anyway. after using the borax, pain and itching subsided. bumps scabbed over that same day. soooo gentle. Have you noticed that if you get it in your eyes, it does not burn? I remember when I was a kid, I had some sort of eye infection so I went to the doc and he said I had pink eye and prescribed boric acid ointment. so of course it would be gentle to the eye. I am anxious to try it internally for some of the other issues I have read here on the site.(arthritis, tmj, fibromyalgia).
Coconut Oil
Posted by Danielle (Atlanta, Georgia) on 09/03/2007
★★★★★
I am a black woman with fine hair. I have never been able to have the shiny beautiful hair I wanted so I wore weaves and braids for many years because my "real" hair was sooo hard to take care of and it always seemed to break off. recently I took my weave out, and I was worried because my hair is down my back and I thought it would break off, but I discovered VCO and have been using it, my hair that was once dull is now shiny, it doesn't tangle, it doesn't come out in huge amounts when I comb it like it did before, and the ends look wonderful. I don't have to use any of the expensive products for my hair anymore. I only need the shampoos. It works great and even protects your hair from heat of blowdrying and flat ironing. I will use this for the rest of my life and I am going to start using it on my body and eventually eating it to see what it does for my entire body. It smells good, and it is really lightweight on your hair. I love it!!!! You will too.
Borax
Posted by Jackie (Grand Rapids, Minn.) on 08/12/2007
★★★★★
Hi, i'm using many of Ted's wonderful remedies. The latest is borax for a shampoo. I was scared at first, thought my hair would be a matted, tangled, dried out mess. Well it works better than any shampoo i've tried, and my stick straight thin hair has new thickness and body. So much so, that i was able to get a chin length haircut with bangs which i didn't dare do before. I don't know if i'm right but i use 2 tbsp borax to 2 qts. warm water and pour it over my head about 3 times then massage my scalp then rinse. i almost forgot to mention i don't need a conditioner or detangling rinse. This makes me really happy because i'm trying to reduce or eliminate chemicals on my skin and body.I use borax water to dampen my hair before a hairset too. I have very light gray hair and i'm trying blackstrap molasses everyday to see if i can get some darker hair back. several people who don't know i'm doing this have said my hair looks darker gray, it definetly is darkening at the hairline on the sides and on the nckline after a short time, so i'm hopeful, but just to be able to have body and thickness to my hair is just thrilling no matter what color it is. Thanks so many times for all this information.jackie
Olive Oil for Split Ends
Posted by Ashley (Nashville, TN) on 12/04/2006
★★★★★
Olive oil for split ends works. Also: 1. egg yolk, 2. real mayo.
Jojoba Oil
Posted by Maureen (Carrollton, GA) on 11/28/2006
★★★★★
After menopause my perfect hair became a nightmare. It is dry and stands straight up like something from a cartoon. I have tried many things - all of them natural - but the only success I have had is with straight jojoba oil. It takes very little and I occasionally put some on my dry hair if it needs a "touchup". It is cheap because you use so little at a time. I love it. The cure is cosmetic. If I go a few times without it, I am pretty much back where i began, however, rather than look like I just took my hand out of a socket, I'll settle until I can do better. (Yes, I do know about EFAs.)
Fenugreek Seeds
Posted by Edna (Metairie, Louisiana) on 10/07/2008
This is the second time i've seen this for your hair, i saw this yesterday on another website. Where can i find fenugreek seeds? GNC.com has the capsule, but where can i find the fenugreek seeds. Thank you for any information you can supply. God Bless
EC: Try an Indian grocery store!
Silicon Supplements
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) 392 posts
Try taking some foods rich with silicon. Such as nuts, horsetails, oatmeal, etc. Or you can take some silicon supplements in the form of orthosilicic acid or silicic acid, which is a water soluble form of silicon. Taken vitamin C will help strengthen or thinken the epidermis. Taking some magnesium seems to helpful. Apple cider vinegar have some traces of silicon and will help. But you need to reduce your intake of vegetable oils (they seem to destroy the liver) and is seen not helpful to the circulation as liver once not functionally as efficiently will not provide nutrients throughout the body.
Takin silicon supplements 5-10 mg/day seems to cause thickening of nails and hair within weeks. (They also grow faster)
Taking some rutin rich foods, such as bee pollen will help develop capillaries, which hopefully will be helpful for the scalp also.
Natural Hair Conditioner
Posted by Julie R (Phoenix, AZ) on 09/14/2014
★★★★★
Castor Oil and Coconut Oil
I have used this 3 times in the last two weeks as a pre-shampoo conditioner. The mix is 50-50 each oil. I add several drops of rosemary oil but I think that could be optional. The castor/coconut oil mix has no adverse scent, and you're going to wash it out anyway.
1-2 hours before shampoo, start with the ends, getting them well-saturated but not dripping. Work the oil up the shafts and finally onto - and into your scalp, adding more oil if necessary.
Gather hair and cover it with a plastic bag or shower cap, another covering on top for good measure if you like (I use a plastic bag + stocking cap).
You may want to shampoo twice depending on how sudsy your shampoo is. I shampoo twice.
Result? My hair went from extremely dried out, super thin, super frizzy (like pubic hair - yuk! ) to thicker, glossy, and smooth wavy hair. No lie. I am thrilled!
From what I have read, you can use straight castor oil but it is very thick and hard to wash out. The coconut oil thins it and is also good for your hair.
This is what I would recommend as an extremely effective, totally non-toxic hair conditioner - to anyone. Try once a week, then adjust, depending on your results.
I also follow my shampoos with a rinse made of 1 C ACV, 1 C green tea, and 2-3 capsules of nettle leaf. But I was using this prior to the castor/coconut oil and did not have these great results. Can't hurt, though!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Della (Inland Empire, California USA) on 01/30/2013
I hope this will help me. My hair comes out in combs full. It is thin and has broken out very short on the right side. The left side grows out very long.
Buttermilk
Posted by Elembe (Uppsala, Sweden) on 11/15/2012
Buttermilk Hair Conditioner (finally, a non-oily natural conditioner! )
- ½ cup organic buttermilk
- 2-3 Tbsp. Plain organic yogurt (full-fat, not lowfat)
- 1 egg yolk (no whites)
- 2-3 drops of a complementary essential oil (e.g. , lavender, rose, ylang-ylang, peppermint or tea tree)
-----
My hair is more fine than coarse, and a lot of homemade hair conditioners contain oil that leave me with greasy hair. I have treid several of these oil-based conditioner recipes over the past year, and my hair remains oily after 3, 4 or 5 washes especially since I shampoo only with homemade soapnut liquid, which is gentle compared to most store-bought (even "natural") shampoos.
This buttermilk conditioner works great for me. My hair is soft, shiny and full after I use it. It can be used daily although it's not necessary for me to use it that often.
The essential oil is optional, primarily included so your head doesn't smell like buttermilk afterward.
If you have coarse or especially dry hair and really want some oil, you could of course add a bit of coconut or olive oil to the mix.
To use: Mix together buttermilk, yogurt and yolk. Warm the mixture by setting the glass/jar of it in a bowl of very hot water for a few minutes, stirring well once or twice. Then add the drops of essential oil. Massage into hair from scalp to roots, covering entire head. Leave on for 15-30 minutes. Rinse with warm water and (optionally) natural shampoo.
Faster Hair Growth
Posted by Farrah (Middletown, California Usa) on 09/05/2012
I am no expert, however, we did a wild harvest of horsetail last summer and gave it away to the women at the goddess temple with the disclaimer that it was NOT for internal consumption... if anyone knows it to be safe internally I would like to know...THANKS!!!
Faster Hair Growth
Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 09/06/2012
Hi Farrah, Yes, horsetail is safe to take internally. It dates back to ancient Roman and Greek medicine. Mainly it is used to strengthen bone because of its silicon content. It can also be used as a diuretic. It can be taken as a tea, a tincture or capsules. Hope this info helps, Lisa
